A Mornington trainer will spend at least nine months out of racing after pleading guilty to stomach tubing a horse before a race at Moe in May.
The Racing Appeals and Disciplinary Board disqualified trainer Trent Pennuto for six months and suspended him for a further three months after the trainer admitted breaching AR 64G(2) at Moe on May 25.
Stewards charged Pennuto after members of the Compliance Assurance Team caught the trainer in the process of stomach-tubing Chatober on course approximately 90 minutes before the horse was scheduled to race.
Chatober was subsequently withdrawn from his engagement.
Pennuto has prepared 48 winners from 541 starters during his training career.
Pennuto's employee David Price was suspended for four months for assisting the trainer in the offending procedure.
